Festival at the Edge Stewards
Our volunteer stewards are the backbone of the festival..
Steward applications for 2025 will be available in January 2025
Stewards and site crew are the face of the festival, vital to its smooth running, and valued members of the festival team. Without the willing support of our volunteers the festival would not be possible. Whether you have volunteered for us before, or you are new to FatE, thank you for your interest in joining our dedicated volunteer team. We expect that we will need around 45 general stewards, including Team Leaders, 10 Artist Liaison stewards and up to 8 site crew. We will endeavour to let you know if you have been selected within 2 weeks.
We are currently in the process of reviewing our Terms and Conditions. Please do not apply until the new form is available in January 2025.
1. Application age
You must be at least 18 years old on Sunday 14th July 2024 if applying for a site crew role or on the first day of your availability if applying for stewarding. We also have a small amount of work experience opportunities for volunteers who are over 16 years old on the first day of availability.
2. Commitments
Your priority as a volunteer steward is to help us run the festival. Duties will be allocated as fairly as possible and once you have been placed on the rota, we expect you to work the hours allocated. Anyone who fails to honour their stewarding commitments without a valid reason or agreement from the Head Steward will have their pass revoked and future applications declined. Anyone who is accepted and who subsequently finds that they are unable to attend, MUST let us know, as their duties will have to be re-allocated.
3. Team preference
Please state your preference of which Main Team you would like to work on – choose between General Stewarding, Site Crew and Artist Liaison. Each team has responsibility for a specific aspect of the festival and has their own Team Leader/s. To enable the festival to run smoothly priority will be given to those who can work on the specified days, however if you would like to apply but cannot offer all the days, please indicate what you can offer so we can consider this. You are also required to ‘check in’ regularly with the appropriate Team Leader to see if there are any duty changes.
Duties are allocated according to your preferences where possible, but we are guided by the information you provide on your experience, so please provide honest and full information. Submit forms promptly to help us with the allocation process. We will try to meet your requests, but no guarantees can be made.
General Stewards: (Main Team) you should be willing to work an average of 4 hours per day, usually no more than 12 hours over the weekend, but you can express interest in doing more. Please note – sometimes duty hours may be unevenly spread across duty days. Working days are Friday 19th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July and you can arrive from Thursday evening (18th July). Within this team there are several sub-teams: Car Park and Gate; Box Office (and Merchandise); Venues; Children’s Stewards; Green Room and Task Force.
Site crew: (Small Team) you will help to prepare the site for the festival before it opens at 7pm on Friday and dismantle it after it finishes at 5pm on Sunday. Set up is from Tuesday 16th to Friday 19th July leading up to the festival opening; take down starts Sunday evening (21st) and throughout Monday (22nd July). Site crew do not normally work during the festival. Duties will be allocated as fairly as possible and will include manual work that involves lifting, carrying and bending, e.g. placing chairs in marquees, laying tape to designate areas, erecting signs, distributing bins, and much more. Practical skills such as carpentry and plumbing are an advantage. You will report to the Site Manager. All site crew are expected to maintain a professional manner and remain calm, vigilant, sober (on duty), and health and safety conscious at all times. Anyone who fails to honour their commitments without a valid reason or agreement from the Site Manager will have their pass revoked and future applications declined.
Please think carefully before applying for this Team, good general health and fitness are essential.
Artist Liaison: (Small Team) Working days are Friday 19th July (from midday if possible); Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July and you can arrive from Thursday evening (18th July). This is a small team of committed, friendly and hard-working enthusiasts, based in the Green Room and led by two co-ordinators. ALs are each allocated up to four artists who are appearing over the course of the festival, either as storytellers or musicians. It can be quite hectic and a calm approach is essential as is the ability to take the initiative when required. Your job is to make sure that your allocated artists have everything they need, and are where they need to be, when they need to be there. Every effort is made to ensure that you have free time to enjoy the programme, but we would expect you to be flexible when there are unforeseen changes. Duties will also include allocated time in the Green Room, and help with welcoming and registering artists. If you are assigned to the AL team you will receive further detailed information in due course.
Anyone on the team who subsequently finds that they are unable to attend, MUST let us know immediately, as the rota will have to be re-allocated.
4. Weekend pass
All volunteers receive a weekend pass with an on-site camping space, which admits them to all venues, although it does not give priority access. The weekend pass is for the volunteer only. Anyone accompanying them, who is not stewarding or site crew, will need to purchase tickets and camping either before or at the festival. If family members or friends are accompanying you, we advise that they pre-book their tickets through the website to take advantage of the early bird prices.
5. Duties clashing with events
If some of your stewarding duties clash with events that you would like to see, we ask that you deal with this at the festival in consultation with the Head Steward or relevant Team Leader. Please be aware that it may not always be possible to change rotas to suit all requests, as the smooth running of the festival has to take precedence.
6. Health conditions
Whilst we endeavour to accommodate individual needs, stewards must be capable and prepared to fulfil the duties allocated to them. We rely on your honesty to inform us of any health conditions which may affect/limit the work you are allocated. We have a duty of care to our volunteers and members of the public, and as such, we reserve the right to remove you from stewarding duties and rescind your free pass if you are not able to carry out the duties allocated.
7. Health and safety
All stewards are expected to maintain a professional manner and remain calm, be vigilant and health and safety conscious at all times. You should wear a hi-vis jacket (provided by the festival) whilst on duty and your name badge should be visible, but please do not wear these when off-duty. Whilst on duty please be sober and refrain from smoking. Smoking is not permitted in any of the venues.
8. Individual Team leaders
Individual Team leaders will brief you and support you in your role as a steward. If you are a General Steward, you will be allocated duties to one or two sub-teams. As long as you are physically fit, you are expected to do at least one duty on the Car Park and Gate Team over the course of the weekend.
9. On-site Team briefings
You may be required to attend on-site Team briefings. If there is an emergency incident or situation (e.g. a child is missing), you may be called upon to help, even if you are not scheduled at that time.
10. Successful applications
If your application for stewarding is successful, we will let you know, as well as indicating which Main Team (General Stewarding, Site Crew, Artist Liaison) you are in. We will contact you again in late June with further details (Note: occasionally the Head Steward or appropriate Team Leader may contact you directly to clarify details in your application). For speed and cost, our preferred method of contact is by email unless you specify an alternative (i.e. phone call or post).
11. Unsuccessful applications
If your application for volunteering is unsuccessful you will be informed as quickly as possible.
12. Children
If you are bringing a child with you, who is 7 years or older, you must purchase a junior ticket for them. Children are not allowed to work as stewards. Children over 16 years of age may apply for work experience (see Point 1).
13. Dogs
Dogs are not allowed on site, apart from assistance dogs. The site is a working farm with livestock.
14. Stewarded with us before
You must complete the application form in full, even if you have stewarded with us before.
15. End of the festival party
All volunteers are invited to join us at the end of the festival for a party on the Sunday evening and stay over until the Monday morning if desired. This is our ‘thank you’ to volunteers for all their hard work.
Stewards Application
Deadline for steward applications 10th June 2024.
Late applications may be taken; please email us on info@festivalattheedge.org to check if our stewards list is still open, if you would like to apply after the June deadline.
You must complete the application form in full, even if you have stewarded with us before.